Button with interchangeable inlay



April 14, 1959 H. KOEHL' 2,881,495

BUTTON WITH IENTERCHANGEABLE INLAY Filed April 30, 1954 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Fig.- 5 HERMAN KQEHL BYMK7% ms ATTORNEYS April 14, 1959 H. IKOEHLY 2,881,495

BUTTON WITH INTERCHANGEABLE INLAY Filed April 30, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

HERMAN KOEHL BY-Z a 2:

HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,881,495 BUTTON WITH INTERCHANGEABLE INLAY Herman Koehl, Danielson, Conn., assignor to C.E.M. Company, Dayville, Conn., a partnership Application April 30, 1954, Serial No. 426,760 Claims. (Cl. 24-113) This invention relates to the so-called covered type of buttons wherein a particular material or color is provided on the face of the button to match the material to which the button is to be attached. The invention particularly relates to buttons of the above type wherein the particular material or color is provided in the form of an insert which is removable and may be replaced without destroying the button.

More specifically, the invention comprises a button having separable front and back walls with an insert in the form of a disc or the like, made of either plastic, paper, leather, fur, textile or any other similar desired material, removably but firmly held between the walls. The front wall is actually a ring-like article having a large central opening in which the insert is framed. Additional flexible backing means are provided between the back wall and the insert to firmly but flexibly support the insert within the opening.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a covered button wherein the so-called covering is easily replaceable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a covered button wherein the parts are separable and are adapted to be easily assembled or disassembled without the need of any special tools.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an assembled button embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the button shown in Fig. '1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the backing member of the button of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the backing member of the button of Fig. 4,

. Fig. 6 is another modification of the invention, Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the backing member shown in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a in Fig. 6.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown in Fig. l a button, generally designated 10, comprising a front member 12 in the form of a ring-like body having a central aperture 14 defined by an internal depressed flange 16 extending from a curved rim portion 18 which is provided with a depending outer skirt por tion 20. The skirt 20 ends in a series of teeth 22 which are bent into a plane which is generally perpendicular to the skirt 20 and which define a bottom opening 23.

The rear wall of the button is formed by a generally disc-shaped closure member 24 which has a flat central portion 26 bounded by an annular rib 28. outwardly bottom plan view of the rear closure shown of the rib 28 there is provided a peripheral flange 30 26, this eyelet being adapted to receive the thread when the button is sewn on a piece of material or a garment.

The insert 36 is held in clamped position within the frame formed by the centrally apertured member 12 between the flange 16 on the member 12 and a backing member 38. This backing member 38 comprises a disclike member, made of spring metal or the like, which is provided with a raised central portion 40 and a depressed peripheral flange 42. A central strip 44 is struck away from the remainder of the central portion 40 and is bent .1 to form a depressed bridge.

The insert 36 is clamped at its peripheral portion between the internal flange 16 on the member 12 and the peripheral flange 42 on the backing member 38, the member 38 being under pressure from the internal portion 39 of the eyelet 34 when the bottom closure member 24 is inserted within the aperture 23 of the top member 12.

.The flexible backing member 38 permits the use of inserts of varying thicknesses since it tends to hold either a relatively thin or relatively thick insert in tight clamping relationship. The necessity for using the backing member for this purpose results from the fact that the closure member which is adapted to cooperate with the teeth 22 is not generally possessed of the necessary flexibility to enable it to clampingly engage inserts of varying thicknesses. Its prime function is to act as a pressure applying supporting means for the backing member. It is absolutely essential to have this flexibility in this instance because the thickness of the insert will vary rather widely according to the type of material from which it is constructed; and since the essence of this invention is to provide a button wherein the insert can be replaced at will, the need for such a flexible backing member is obvious.

In assembling the button, the insert 36 is first inserted through the rear aperture 23 with its peripheral portion abutting against the internal flange 16; then the backing member 38 is inserted through the aperture 23 behind the insert 36; finally, the rear closure member 24 is inserted into the aperture 23. As the member .24 is inserted, the rib 28, being of greater diameter than the opening between the teeth 22, resiliently press the teeth back, however, after the top portion of the rib has passed through and the groove 32 comes into position between the teeth, the teeth snap back into the groove and, thereafter, firmly hold the closure member in position. Although the gripping action of these teeth is very intense and there is practically no possibility of the closure member accidentally falling out or being displaced, yet, once the point of the sharply pointed instrument is inserted between the flange 30 and the teeth 22, the closure member is immediately released.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of the invention wherein a solid fiat disc-like backing member 46,

made of resilient material, is substituted for the backing member 38 of the first embodiment. In this second embodiment, the top member 48 is similar to top member 12 except that it does not have an internal flange surrounding the top central aperture. The insert 50 is, therefore, not bent peripherally as is insert 36, but is held in flat position by a line contact of the edge of the internal wall of the member 48. In this embodiment, the pressure of the rear closure member upon the backing member is exerted through the rib 51 at the line of contact between the edge of the member 48 and the backing member. This embodiment is particularly suited for inserts 3 formed of relatively stifi material such as plastic, cardboard, or the like.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate a third embodiment wherein there is provided a top member 52 similar to member 12 in the embodiment of Fig. 1. The backing member 54, however, diifers from the backing members of the other embodiments. This backing member 54 is similar to that of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in that it comprises a disc made of spring metal or the like having a centrally raised fiat portion 56 and a depressed peripheral flange 58; however, instead of a centrally struck out portion, such as in the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it is provided with a series of depressed portions 60 on the peripheral flange 58, four such depressions being here illustrated. The rear closure member 62 also distinguishes from that shown in Fig. 1 in that instead of the eyelet 34 there is provided an integrally formed central depression 64 at opposite sides of which are formed openings 66 to receive the needle and thread.

In assembling the button of Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the insert 68, backing member 54 and rear closure member 62 are inserted in the same manner as in the other embodiments. When the button is in assembled condition, the clamping pressure of the closure member is exerted peripherally through the depressed portions 60 of the peripheral flange 58.

The backing member 54, like the backing member 38, because of its flexible construction, permits the use of inserts constructed of various materials and having various degrees of thickness.

Other modifications are within the scope of the invention and include the substitution of a curved backing member for the relatively flat ones illustrated in the drawings, or the substitution of flexible teeth for the bridge portion 44 of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Furthermore, the rim portion of the top member may be rectangular in cross-section rather than curved and may be provided with designs, advertising or other indicia.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed in this invention is:

1. A button device for framing a selected insert comprising a ring-shaped cover member including a top wall and a bottom wall resiliently joined to each other by a side wall, means defining a central aperture in said top wall, said bottom wall comprising a skirt including a series of substantially resilient teeth extending laterally from said side wall, a bottom closure member including a central portion, an upstanding wall surrounding said central portion and projecting towards said cover member, said ring-shaped cover member having a C-shaped cross section to provide a resilient clamping action between said upstanding wall and said means defining said central aperture, said bottom closure member extending radially past said upstanding wall to form a peripheral flange, said flange and said upstanding wall forming between them a groove constructed and arranged for interlocking within said series of teeth of said cover member for detachably locking said bottom closure member within the bottom of said cover member, a fastening means centrally located upon the outer portion of said closure member, said fastening means being constructed and arranged to permit said closure member to be fastened to an article, a backing member disposed within said cover member and resiliently clamped between said means defining said central aperture in said top wall of said cover member and a surface of said closure member for maintaining said insert framed within said cover member between said backing member and said means defining said central aperture, and said cover member and said closure member being constructed and arranged to resiliently clamp said backing member and said insert between Said means defining said central aperture and the surface of the upstanding wall of said closure member nearest to said means defining said central aperture.

2. The button device of claim 1 wherein the means defining the central aperture in said cover member is a depressed central flange extending laterally from said cover member.

3. The button device of claim 1 wherein said backing member is a relatively fiat body from the central portion of which depends a substantially resilient bowed strip, said bowed strip bearing on said closure member.

4. The button device of claim 1 wherein said backing member is a flat resilient body.

5 A button device comprising a cover member having a top wall, means defining a central aperture in said top wall, a skirt depending from said top wall, a series of substantially resilient teeth extending laterally from said skirt, a bottom closure member comprising a central portion, an upstanding wall surrounding said central portion and projecting toward said cover member, means defining a lateral groove on the outer surface of said wall, said groove being adapted to resiliently retain said teeth, an apertured fastening means extending outwardly from said closure member and adapted to hold thread sewn to an article, a backing member bearing on at least a portion of said closure member, said backing member being at least partially resilient, an insert clamped by the resilient force of said backing member against said cover member, said insert being framed within the central aperture in the top wall of said cover member, said backing member being a relatively flat plate having an ofl-set, lateral rim, said rim having a plurality of depressed portions therein, and wherein said closure member is .provided with a centrally depressed portion having oppositely positioned openings formed therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,640,238 Schuhr June 2, 1953 2,662,259 Koehl Dec. 15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 62,334 Switzerland Nov. 7, 1912 296,164 Germany Jan. 18, 1917 468,004 Great Britain June 28, 1937 883,360 Germany June 3, 1953 943,829 France Mar. 18, 1949 981,125 France May 22, 1951 1,057,647 France Oct. 28, 1953 

